Ljubljana - Ljubljana Castle, one of the most popular landmarks in Slovenia, was visited by over 460,000 tourists in 2021, of whom some 142,000 used the funicular. Both figures are higher than in the first coronavirus year 2020, but still significantly below the record year 2019 for the castle's operator.

The number of visitors was 32% higher than in 2020 and the number of those who took the funicular by 45%, Ljubljanski Grad said in a press release on Friday.

As many as 63% of the visitors came from abroad, mostly from Germany, Italy and France.

Almost 310 events were organised at the castle premises last year, despite the facility having to close occasionally due to the epidemic. The funicular could not operate 98 days.

"All this resulted in a still high, around 70% drop in the number of visitors compared to 2019, which was been the most successful business year for us to date."

The castle received several awards and recognitions, including the Slovenia Green Attraction designation.

Celica Hostel, which is also managed by Ljubljanski Grad, recorded a 12% growth in the number of nights last year.

In the first half of the year the hostel was mostly occupied by health staff, while travellers started returning in May and the summer months already saw a similar occupancy rate as before the epidemic.

"We are part of the most severely hit sectors of tourism and culture, and it is clear that their recovery will take quite some more time," the public institute's director Mateja Avbelj Valentan was quoted as saying.